


Slow Motion

by Saranghae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:23:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saranghae/pseuds/Saranghae
Summary: Draco finds his morals and decides what he's really fighting for OR the one where Draco saves people because I want everyone to be happy damn it





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NoveraNoam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoveraNoam/gifts).



> I had this random idea of Draco redeeming himself to others by actively fighting for the light side. And what better way to do that than to save people's lives?

Draco pulled himself off the floor and ran to the far wall, flattening himself against it and pushing his body behind the closest pillar. He squeezed his eyes shut, softly counting to ten over and over until his breathing returned to normal.

He could hear Potter and his friends talking but they were too far away to make out words. Goyle had run off, Draco wasn’t sure where.

Crabbe was dead. Draco had almost been as well. Harry Potter had saved his life and he had no idea what to do with that information.

He was digging the heels of his palms into his temples, trying to stop the pounding in his skull, when he heard the shouting. His head jerked up and he looked around the pillar. He saw flashes of spells and wild red hair. More Weasleys he suspected.

Potter and his lackeys ran towards the fighting. Draco wasn’t sure what possessed him to, but he slipped out from behind the pillar and followed after them, sticking to the back wall.

The Death Eaters were already taken care of when he got within ear shot. He could hear one of the Weasley twins talking merrily, completely contrast to the dark suspense around them.

Draco heard it before he saw it.

The wall behind the group exploded, sending several people flying backwards. Draco’s wand was in the air and he had shouted a spell before they even hit the ground.

_“Arresto Momentum!”_

The world slowed down around him. Potter and Granger glided through the air towards him. The older Weasley boy was already on the ground. Draco didn’t have time to look for the weasel because his eyes were fixed on the twin.

Draco had no idea which one he was, but he was running towards him so quickly he slipped a little on the rocks under his feet when he came to a stop.

Draco could stand here and watch the rubble crush him in slow motion if he felt so inclined. There were already several stone shards embedded into his shoulder and upper back. Draco slipped a hand behind his head and gently pulled him forward just before the wall could collide with the back of his head.

He had only been next to the twin for a second or two but already the spell was wearing off and time was speeding up again. He cast two quick spells to lighten his load as he wrapped an arm around the twin’s waist and reached down to grab the other Weasley by the arm. He backed up as quickly as he could while dragging two motionless bodies.

And almost as quickly as it had happened, the spell broke. There was a deafening crash and Draco suddenly had an armful of screaming ginger.

Draco stared wide eyed at his surroundings as the smoke cleared, swallowing thickly as he clung tightly onto the Weasley twin. He was making a choking sound that probably wasn’t very healthy but he was too concerned with the two redheads who looked like they were about to murder him to do anything about it.

“What did you do, Malfoy!” Ron screamed, thundering towards him from out of nowhere. The older Weasley had gotten off the floor and was trying to replace his confusion with anger as he took in the sight of Draco clinging to the bleeding twin.

“I saved your arses, that’s what I did,” Draco hissed, his voice sounding weak to his own ears.

The person in his arms was becoming very heavy, very quickly, and Draco started when he realized he had probably passed out.

His hands were wet with the blood pouring down the twin’s back and he sagged under his weight.

“Fred!” came Potter’s voice from through the smoke. He was practically dragging Granger along beside him as the two met up with their friends in a semi-circle around Draco and, apparently, Fred.

Potter looked back and forth between Draco and the collapsed wall a few times before he stopped on Draco.

“You saved him?” he asked, cutting through Ron’s shout about vile Slytherins.

Draco swallowed thickly and nodded, definitely using Fred as a shield at this point.

“I… You saved my life, I saved his… we’re even.”

Harry looked bemused for a moment before he actually smiled.

There wasn't much they could do after that except run for their lives as the spells started flying.

The next twenty minutes were a blur. Draco and the elder Weasley--Draco was pretty sure his name was Percy--carried Fred back to the great hall, which had turned into a makeshift hospital wing while Potter and the other two ran off to do… something. Draco didn’t ask.

Fred was slipping in and out of consciousness the whole time, but he managed to be obnoxious and say, “Bet your father isn’t going to hear about this.”

Draco sat back on his heels and let out a sigh once Fred was semi comfortable. There was a lot of commotion out in the courtyard and a few fights were spilling into the hall but there were several students and a few teachers who were solely protecting the wounded.

When Madam Pomfrey bustled over and started to tend to Fred’s wounds, Percy pounced.

He practically straddled Draco, fists gripping his shirt as he held him fast and glared daggers down at him. Draco almost swallowed his tongue as he put his hands up in a desperate attempt to show Percy he wasn’t a threat.

“You saved my brothers life, and probably my own, and I will always be grateful for that…” he paused, his eyes darkening as he stared down at the blond. “But I need to know, what side are you on?”

Draco swallowed thickly and gently tried to pry Percy’s hands off him. They were both ignoring Madam Pomfrey’s admonishments.

Percy continued before Draco could find an answer. “If we are going to have a problem, so help me I will string you up by your ankles and feed you to the squid. So if you plan on hurting anyone that isn’t wearing Death Eater robes, you better check yourself out.”

Draco was a little shaken. He remembered Percy Weasley as a stuffy prefect who followed all the rules and stuck his nose up at the Weasley way of life. According to his father, Percy was the only Weasley worth associating with because he had seen the error of his family’s ways. Maybe his father had spoken too soon.

“I never wanted to hurt anyone,” Draco said in a small voice, finally managing to get Percy to let go of his robes. “I just wanted to protect my family. I’m… I’m not a Death Eater. Not anymore.”

The words felt so final, even to himself. He met Percy’s eyes, seeing the understanding there. They both knew he was going against his father by saying that. Percy knew a thing or two about turning his back on his family.

Percy sniffed and scowled. “You were never a very good Death Eater anyways.”

He rolled off of Draco and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

“How am I supposed to hate you when I relate so strongly to you? I’m a little disgusted, you know.”

Draco managed a sneer, gaining a small fraction of his perfect mask back. “Don’t worry, the feeling is mutual.”

Draco pushed himself to his feet before Percy could point out that that was another thing they had in common.

“Where are you going?” Percy demanded as Draco started walking toward the courtyard.

Draco paused and looked over his shoulder, making a mental note that there was still a fair bit of mistrust there.

“I let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts last year,” he said, surprised at how calm his voice was despite his pounding heart. “I think it’s about time I kick them out.”

Draco turned with a sweep of his robes, walking swiftly through the barricade of people and into the courtyard--completely missing the mildly impressed look on Percy’s face.

Outside was a nightmare.

There were bodies everywhere and Draco had to start running immediately to avoid getting hit with stray spells. He fired off a few of his own, catching several Death Eaters in the back as he slipped through the shadows. He tugged his hood over his head, trying to hide his hair as he knew it would make him a huge target for both sides.

He was glad he didn’t see his parents anywhere. Neither of them had wands at the moment, so he knew that they would be holding back until the victory speech--the Dark Lord and a lot of those.

He heard a scream and spun around, eyes catching a flash of red light and a girl with bright robes and pink hair writhing on the ground in pain.

“Dora!”

The shout came from behind him, and his robe swirled from the momentum as Professor Lupin ran past him at full speed, sending several spells off at the Death Eater attacking the woman.

Draco’s blood ran cold as he heard the icy laughter of his aunt ring through the air, her hood falling off as she blocked and parried the spells.

The woman was trembling on the ground but seemed to alive. Draco ran over to her and knelt down beside her, making sure his hood stayed down as to not attract attention.

“Are you alright?” he hissed, checking her to make sure she wasn’t going into shock.

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized who he was but she head gave a jerky nod anyways and Draco sighed in relief. Her lips parted and she whispered a name, eyes shifting to Draco’s old Defence teacher who was fighting fiercely against Bellatrix.

“R-Remus.”

Draco swallowed and straightened, legs feeling slightly like jell-o. Lupin wouldn’t hold out long against his aunt. He needed to help fight if he was going to survive.

A shifting of movement from behind him caught his attention and his eyes met Dolohov’s. Draco’s heart stopped in his chest for a moment before he realized he wasn’t the target. Dolohov still thought Draco was on his side.

Draco swallowed thickly as Dolohov raised his wand and pointed it at Lupin’s back.

_“Protago!”_

The shield charm shimmered brightly behind Lupin as Dolohov’s spell sparked off it. Draco’s heart pounded at the thought that if Dolohov had shot the killing curse, there would have been nothing he could have done.

Before anyone could react to what he had done, Draco shot off his own curse, knocking Dolohov off his feet. He disarmed and bound him quickly, catching his wand and snapping it in half without a second thought.

“Draco!”

Draco couldn’t help the shudder that ran through him at the pure hatred that laced his name.

He turned, eyes meeting his aunt’s.

“You little filth,” Bellatrix spat, eyes fiery with anger. Lupin was panting and clutching his wand arm, which hung limply at his side. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Draco stared into the eyes of his blood relative--the pure blood he used to think so highly of. He had learned over the last year that maybe blood status didn’t make you better than everyone else. Bellatrix Lestrange was living proof.

“What I should have done a long time ago,” he said, leaving himself shocked at the steadiness of his own voice. He wouldn’t allow himself to be scared of this woman any more.

 _“Stupify!”_ he shouted, readying another spell as his aunt easily blocked the first.

Bellatrix screamed a curse at him and he narrowly avoided blacking out as his vision blurred and his face exploded in pain.

He cried out and clutched a hand over the left side of his face, blood dripping down into his eye. He didn’t have time to figure out the damage. He had to act or he would end up dead.

He grit his teeth, spraying blood as he shouted his next spell.

Three more beams of red light joined his as all four hit Bellatrix square in the chest. Her face froze in a gasp for a satisfying moment before she toppled to the ground.

Draco’s legs gave out and he swayed dangerously, staying standing only due to the hands that gripped firmly at his arms.

“That was some quick thinking, kid.”

Draco blinked through the blood and the pain and startled when he realized he was being held aloft by Kingsley Shacklebolt.

His eyes scanned the area. Lupin had run to the woman on the ground, who was sitting up now and had her wand gripped tightly in her hand. Professor Flitwick was busy rendering Dolohov unconscious.

“She… she was gon’ kill ‘im.” His words slurred as he fought to stay awake. The left side of his forehead was on singing with pain and his ear felt white hot. His whole head throbbed and he knew he wasn’t going to last long on his feet.

He vaguely remembered being lifted into strong arms and carried across the stone steps of the entrance hall. He could hear Lupin’s calming tone speaking hushed words to Kingsley, who replied in his deep rumble.

Draco couldn’t make out words, but he felt strangely relaxed.

When Draco woke up, he was surrounded by bodies.

He sat up with a shout, panic shooting through him. He instantly regretted it as his vision swam and his head throbbed so hard he felt like he was going to be sick.

“Lie down, dear,” a soft voice spoke. He blinked through the stars a few times, trying to see the owner of the voice.

“Mom?” he breathed in disbelief.

His vision finally cleared as he lay back down at the soft urging of a pair of hands.

“No, sweetheart,” the voice said softly, and Draco’s face flushed horribly.

The Weasley mother was just as wildly redheaded as all of her offspring.

“Your injuries are healed as best as they can be for the time being but you will still have a monster of a headache for a few days. What do you remember?”

Draco frowned, looking around--slowly, as he didn’t want to throw up in front of his school rival’s mother.

“I remember… being in here with your children. And then I went outside and I…"

His heart stopped and he choked on the air he was trying to breathe.

“Is she dead?” he whispered, so softly he wasn’t sure she heard him at first.

She smiled sadly at him, the sympathy in her eyes making him want to disappear into the floorboards.

“She is,” Mrs. Weasley said gently, as if she was worried he would react poorly. “You, however, were not the one who killed her. Two out of four spells were fatal. Yours was not.”

Draco swallowed around the feelings he wasn’t sure how to describe.

“How… how long have I been asleep? Is it over?”

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and looked around the hall.

“Not yet, dear. We have been given a chance to rest, but I fear the worst is yet to come.”

She looked back down at him, her eyes full of something Draco wasn’t sure he wanted to diagnose.

“You saved my son’s life,” she said softly, smiling down at him with what Draco could only describe as pride. “You are a very brave young man. Percy explained everything to me.”

Draco wasn’t sure what exactly Percy had said to her but she looked like she was barely restraining herself from crushing him in a hug. Draco appreciated her restraint.

“I just… I don’t want to be a Death Eater. I never did. I don’t… want to be evil.”

He screwed up his face, feeling it twinge as he tried not to cry.

Mrs. Weasley patted his shoulder gently and nodded, looking up as one of the twins strided into view. Draco assumed it was George, since he looked entirely undamaged, except for the already healed lack of an ear.

“Hey look, Freddie! I match with ickle Draco!”

Draco’s eyes widened so far he felt like they might pop out as his hand shot to the left side of his head, feeling the bandage covering his ear.

“Don’t worry, Draco,” George said happily. “This will just be one more thing your father won’t hear about.”

Draco very much wanted to die as soft laughter bubbled up inside the very sullen room.

 

***

 

Life was very different and very similar all at the same time. He still had his parents. He still went to Hogwarts, now that the school was open once more.

But he could say hello to Harry Potter in the halls and not feel like a complete fool.

“I guess I can call you scarface too, now.”

Draco gently touched the long scar across the left side of his forehead. “It’s not as bad as George calling me his ear buddy.”

Draco hadn’t lost his whole ear when Bellatrix had hit him with the cutting curse. He was, however, missing the top half of his left ear. It had taken an adjustment period, but it wasn’t too bad now that it was fully healed.

“I suppose not.” The laughter in Potter’s voice was gentle. Draco let his eyes can over the boy who lived and frowned. He had been so jealous of him once. He had hated him and felt humiliated by him and wanted to be him and be liked by him. And now he was just… Potter. No more dark lord. No more chosen one.

“Since we… are sharing a scar, how about we also share that handshake?”

Draco felt his heart in his throat. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself. Potter had turned him down completely when they were 11 and it had haunted him ever since.

Harry seemed to consider him for a moment before smiling softly and giving a sharp nod. “I don’t think it will hurt.

“Besides, I believe you’ve been having a problem with the ‘wrong sort’,” Harry Potter held out his hand. “I can help you there.”


End file.
